The department announced on Twitter Monday that Justice, a 16-month old German Shepard, would be K-9 officer Matt Scott’s new police dog partner.

Scott’s previous partner, Buster, had to retire early after it was discovered that he had Temporomandibular Osteoarthritis, or TMJ, in both joints, and myositis in his jaw, so he couldn’t fulfill all of his K-9 responsibilities.

“This is a great opportunity for him to live the rest of his life as a normal dog, which we here at the UCF PD couldn’t ask for anything more,” Scott said in a previous interview with the Central Florida Future.

An Osceola County family adopted Buster in June. He was purchased with money raised by the UCF community, so he was under warranty. UCF PD received money toward purchasing the new K-9, Justice.

Unlike Buster, who received more than 400 hours of training with Scott, Justice was already trained in the basics before being purchased.

Since he’s arrived, UCF PD has been focusing on getting him used to the university’s campus, the department’s style and his new handler.

Scott and Justice expect to become certified within the next few weeks, which means they will be allowed out on patrol soon.

-----

Deanna Ferrante is a Senior Staff Writer for the Central Florida Future.